Wheel.



R. K. GREGORY.

WHEEL APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 16, 1907.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

z m n m n a witness R. K. GREGORY.

WHEEL. APPLIQATION FILED MAB.16,-1907.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET B.

RICHARD I'x'. GREGORY, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed March 16. 1907. Serial No. 362,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD K. Gnnoonv, citizen of the United States, residing at Greensbiiro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in W hecls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an improved construction of wheel which depends for its resiliency upon a series of springs, and not upon rubber, or cushion or pneumatic tires, and which will possess all of the characteristics" of resiliency of the cushion and pneumatic tire type of wheel without the liability to puncture and wear incidental thereto, and which will also possess charae teristics of extreme durability and lightness combined with strength and be comparatively cheap to manufacture, assemble, and maintain.

With these and -other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combina tions of parts which I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel fea tures in the appended claim.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the wheel, on an enlarged scale, partly in section; Fi 3, is a transverse sectional view of the wheel; Fig. 4 is adetail side elevation I of one of the blocks or shoes hereinafter specifically referred to; and, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of said shoes illustrating a modified or alternative form of anti-friction device that may be employed.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the hub of the Wheel, 2 the spokes thereof, and 3 the folly, all of which may be anvtdesired way,. and which is formed with 'of any desired construction and design.

designates a preferabl metallic channeled-rirn which is secure to the folly in inturned edges providing inwardly facing shoulders 5.

"ithili the channeled rim 4 is a circumferentlally extending series of blocks or shoes 6 which may be composed of wood or any desired composition and which are guided with a radially sliding movement within said channeled rim. They are arranged end to end. Within the rim, each; block is formed at its opposite sides with sockets 7 in which anti-friction devices 8 are mounted, said devices being in the form of balls as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4; or they may be in the form of rollers 8* mounted in longitudinally extending slots 7, as indicated in Fig. 5. These anti-friction devices may bear not only'llbetween the side edges of the blocks and the adjacent walls of the rim, but if desired they may bear against the meeting ends of the blocks or shoes 6, as indicated in Fig. 5. The sockets to receive the balls or rollers in the sides of the shoes 6 are. formed in transverse enlargements 9, the outer edges of which constitute outwardly facing shoulders 10 adapted to coact with the inwardly facing shoulders 5 of the rim to limit the outward movement of the shoes.

To produce the desired resiliency, each shoe 6 is formed in its inner face with one or more sockets 11 (two being shown in the present instance) and a helical spring 12 is seated in each socket and bears a ainst the bottom thereof and against the liottom of the channeled rim 4. Preferably each sprin is provided with a core the ends of whic bear against the bottom of the socket and therim, and which may be composed of rubher or other resilient substance. In the drawings these cores are designated 13.

14 designates the tire which may be composed of any desired substance or cpmposition possessing wearing ualities, and it is not essential that the tire e resilient, as the resiliency is provided for by means of the springs 12, with or without the cores 13.

As one connection between the. tire and the shoes that may be employed, I have shown the tire as formed with a bead 15 fitting Within a correspondingly shaped socket in the series of shoes 6. i,

It is prcferred'that a guiding connection be provided between the several shoes of the series, and for this purpose Ima'y employ inte ral tongues 16 ro ect1n from one end of t e respective sioes an slidingly mounted in a corresponding groove 17 in the opposite end of each shoe.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a cheap, simple, durable, and eflicient construction of vehicle wheel in which no cushion, pneumatic, or other rubber tire is used While the characteristic of resiliency is retained and the wearing qualities enhanced, while the susceptibility to puncture and other disadvantageous features of a pneumatic-tired wheel are avoided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a vehicle wheel, the combination with a channeled rim and its support, and a circumferentially extending series of shoes movable within said rim and spring pressed outwardly and formed with transversely enlarged inner ends producing outwardly facing shoulders, the rim being formed with enacting shoulders to limit the outward movement of the shoes, the sides of said enlargement being formed with sockets, each shoe being formed at one end with spaced sockets in line with the sockets of the enlargements and between said end sockets with a groove, each being formed at its opposite end with a tongue of less width than the shoe and in alinement with the side enlargements, said tongue being adapted to fit in the groove of the next adjoining shoe, antifriction devices mounted. in the sockets of the side enlargements of the respective "hoes and bearing against the sides of the rim, and other antifriction devices in the end sockets at opposite sides of the rooves, said last named antifriction devices caring against the end of the respective adjacent shoes.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD K. GREGORY. [I.. s.]

Witnesses:

FREDERICK S. 81TH, V. N. VVooDsoN. 

